Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) has launched the second edition of its global ‘Zurich Innovation Championship', offering startups from around the world the opportunity to work with the global insurer to grow their business. In its second year, the global contest which prides itself as one of the leading startup events in the world looks for established startups with commercially viable technologies and innovative business models. The startups could be from any sector, especially those who tackle challenges around climate, health, automation and other issues expected to put a strain on the next generation. Zurich is seeking bold thinking and groundbreaking ideas that can help make a lasting impact in a changing world. In addition, there is a ‘wildcard' category for startups with other fresh new solutions that have the potential to help Zurich push the boundaries of transformation and explore new frontiers of innovation. "The competition is part of our mission to help customers become more sustainable and resilient, while fostering the growth of startups that bring innovative new approaches to that work," said Giovanni Giuliani, Group Head of Strategy, Innovation and Business Development, Zurich. The championship was announced by Giuliani at InsureTech Connect in Las Vegas. Applications are open until Dec. 17, 2019. Each of Zurich's participating country businesses will select one startup and develop a use case together over a five-month period. The field will then be narrowed to eight for the final round in August 2020. Three winners will have the chance to work with Zurich on a local pilot with the goal to scale it globally. The Middle East startup ecosystem is growing rapidly as more and more talented entrepreneurs come on board. Our ‘Zurich Innovation Championship' tournament is a perfect platform for such startups to showcase their expertise and innovative ideas to the world," said Walter Jopp, CEO of Zurich Middle East. Zurich's inaugural Innovation Championship in 2018-2019 received more than 450 entries from 49 countries. The company is working with all the winners and several of the finalists on ideas that range from improving mental and physical well-being, cutting down on water waste to simplifying and accelerating processes for customers. The Gold award in the tournament went to Chisel AI, which uses artificial intelligence to extract, identify and classify data from unstructured digital data sources, such as insurance documents. Chisel founder and CEO Ron Glozman said: "Zurich takes innovation seriously and it shows. They are looking for real business value from the technologies they are evaluating. If you are an InsureTech startup with a strong business case, the Zurich Innovation Championship provides a global stage to showcase your solution and get invaluable feedback from an insurance industry leader." — SG
